I'll never understand how McGuff is getting time at Ohio State when he's performing worse than Foster did.
Well, Lorcan, that would be going on the assumption that the firing of Jim Foster made any sense whatsoever (particularly taken into consideration that he then went to Chattanooga and had some more good years).
However, between conference calls, I decided to go the files (actually wikipedia) to compare the coaches who put in the most years coaching the Buckeyes just to compare how they actually have done. Had to have coached as long as McGuff or longer, so Tara, with four seasons, doesn't make this cut (more on her later, though)
- Foster was there 11 seasons and compiled an overall record of 279-82 (77%). His team never had a losing record and the only sub .500 mark is when he went 7-9 in the Big Ten in his last season (overall that year was 18-13). His teams made 3 Sweet 16s.
- Kevin McGuff just finished his 8th year and his teams have compiled an overall 168-84 record (67%). That includes two (barely) sub-.500 records (17-18 in his first year, 14-15 in another). His teams have made 2 Sweet 16s.
- Nancy Darsch succeeded Tara in the mid-80s and coached for 12 years, compiling a 234-125 record (65%). She led the team to 2 Sweet 16s, One Elite Eight and was the Runner-Up in 1992.
BTW, Tara had a winning percentage of 75% in her 4 years at the helm, so Foster has the highest winning % of any Buckeye coach. Period. However, McGuff and Darsch were/are both winning 2 of every three games.
